Semi-Charmed Life
by SimplyPassingBy
Summary: "How do I get back there to the place where I fell asleep inside you? How do I get myself back there to the place where you said 'I love you.?" Adventure Time AU High School. [Slow burn]
1. Chapter 1: Bonnibel

**Chapter 1**

* * *

It was a somber, yet relaxing August morning in the small town of O'Niell. The leaves were beautiful shades, and the air was intermediate and crisp. Near perfect walking conditions, in Bonnibel's opinion. She found herself casually strolling down the sidewalk - She opted out of taking her car this morning, due to the preferable weather - with no real destination in mind, simply walking along at a casual pace enjoying the scenery. The sidewalks were scarcely used this time of year, and the roads were mostly quiet this time of morning. A smile crept across her face. Her luscious auburn locks hadn't been too much trouble this morning, her mother would be in town this afternoon, and school started back within a week. "My senior year." She mumbled, still grinning uncontrollably. What wasn't there to smile about? Honestly.

Bonnie found herself skipping briefly out of pure enjoyment. She giggled aloud. Her pace calmed as she glanced around, half to spot any specters to her prance, half in search of a resting point. After a short examination, she found no one paying her any mind and she decided the cafe just down the road would be an excellent establishment to visit. Bonnie didn't frequent this shop by any means, but it sounded absolutely lovely this morning.

As Bonnie approached the crosswalk at the street in front of the cafe she noticed a familiar vehicle come to a stop at the red light. She scurried to beat the light change. As she closed with the truck, she felt a devilish grin creep onto her face. Just as the dingy yellow truck slowly began to pull forward she was in range to playfully slap the passenger side window. The vehicle screeched to a halt - She could hear the muffled panic from inside. She was laughing heartily as the window crept down.

As she peered through the window, she saw two blond headed boys. The driver was a short, but stocky boy, with light hazel eyes, short but stylish blond hair, and a well-maintained blond beard and mustache combo. The boy who sat in the passenger seat was a tall, lanky boy, with possibly the most captivating sky blue eyes - There wasn't a person who would, or could, deny that - in the known world, obnoxiously long, shaggy, blond hair held - Year round - in place by a snow white slouch beanie, and a baby smooth face.

"What the what, Bonnie!? Why you playing?" Jake yelled, his voice deeper and more scruffy than usual, leaning across the center console rigid. Finn had a cheeky grin adorning his face. Bonnie ceased her laughing, but couldn't quit smiling. She ignored Jake's question. "What are you two up to this fine morning?" She beamed.

Jake's tension slowly released. "We were just going to go grab something to eat" the brothers responded in unison. "Wanna come?" Finn offered, bearing a toothy grin. With a smile and a nod of her head, Bonnie quickly found herself squeezing into the - Uncomfortable - backseat of Jake's pickup, trying to hurry, as to not cause a traffic problem.

After Bonnie got comfortable - Well, as comfortable as she can get - she leaned forward to speak to the brothers. "So, where did you two have in mind?" Jake shared a glance with Finn. Simultaneously, they both shrug their shoulders. "Honestly, we have no idea." Jake laughed. Finn twisted around to face her. "We just figured we'd stop where ever felt 'right'. Ya know?"

Bonnie laughed. "Alright, well, how does coffee sound?"

Jake nodded his head. "Yeah, I think I could get behind that. Finn?" His brother made a face. "Man, you know I hate coffee." Which sprung a large, and heated, debate between the two brothers. Bonnie leaned back, and watched as the two went back and forth about whether of not coffee was a suitable beverage choice or not. Eventually, Finn sighed, and agreed to the coffee shop visit. She could see Jake's ear-to-ear grin in the rear-view mirror, which prompted a snicker from her. Jake caught her eyes in the mirror and asked, "So, where do you want to go for coffee, Bonnie?" Bonnie pointed behind her, "Well, I was going to the cafe there, but I really don't know any good coffee shops around here. I usually just make my own." She stated plainly, with a shrug.

Jake made a fart noise with his mouth. "You don't want to go there, trust me. I know a way better place. I mean, it's a bit of a drive cause it's on the outskirts of town, but it is totes worth it." Bonnie nodded her head in agreement. Jake had slowed down without noticing it during their conversation, but he sped up to the speed limit - Not that there were many cars on the road for him to irritate.

"So, Bonnie, how's the last few weeks of summer been for you? Haven't seen you much recently. We figured you've been doing your 'pre-start-of-school studying." Finn glanced at his brother, who just nodded his head in response. "You seen your mom yet for her summer visit?" Finn continued, turning around in his seat to face her. Bonnie smiled. "Well, you weren't wrong. I have been studying my butt off these past few weeks. Got to get into college, you know?" Her smile faded a bit, and with a sigh she continued. "No, not yet. She's been really busy, but she is supposed to be in today. Presley is going to pick her up from the airport sometime in the afternoon. I'm pretty excited." She finished, suddenly beaming with joy. Finn's face quickly shifted to one of concern, but he twisted back to sit proper, before Bonnie could catch his look. Jake however, caught the vibe, and interjected quickly. "Well, I'm glad to hear it Bonns." His voice caught in his throat, briefly. "And hey, if things get weird like last time, we'll be home all day, just come by. Anytime. I mean, I think Mom is making meatloaf tonight."

Bonnie wore a smile, but it thin. "Well thanks, you two, but I don't think that will be necessary. Mom just... Gets in one of her moods sometimes. It's no biggie, really." Her tone carried a certain weight, as if she was not only trying to convince the brothers, but herself as well. _'They just don't get it. Politics is a stressful job. Of course Mom's going to be up tight, it's kind of her job to be uptight. She has to uphold the law. They can't even imagine the stress she's under.'_

An awkward silence loomed inside the truck, only the faint sound of an eighties rock track playing through the trucks speakers could be heard. Jake tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel to the beat of the song whilst they waited patiently - And awkwardly - at an exceptionally long red light. "Well..." Finn exclaimed, capturing everyone's attention. "I've been thinking long and hard, and I think I'm going to try to convince Mr. Earle to sanction a fencing team this school year." Jake snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that, bro. You know Earle. You'd be lucky if they still had a wrestling team this year." Jake paused briefly, before taking in a big breath of air. "Hell, I'll be lucky if we still have a football team this year." Bonnie and Finn shared a laugh, then Bonnie cleared her throat. "Yeah, Finn, I don't think my uncle is going to allow that."

Finn sighed. "Yeah, I figured as much, but I think I have a pretty convincing argument." His voice trailed off for a moment. "By any chance do you think you could bring it up with him, if he comes to see you and your mom? Maybe?" Finn's voice trailed much higher than usual, and was accompanied by a cheeky grin. Bonnibel tried very hard to stifle her laughter, but her efforts where futile. "Finn, I think that would probably make it worse. He practically hates me." The younger brother sighed. "Yeah, I know. I thought it was worth a try though." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. The older brother charmed in shortly afterwards. "Yeah, what's the deal with that anyway? He's your uncle. Isn't blood thicker than water, or whatever?" Bonnie chuckled. "Yeah, something like that. However, I think he's just secretly mad at my mother." She said leaning forward, now in between the brothers. "I think he's just mad that his sister is in charge of cities, and the best he can manage is to be in charge of a school. Not to mention... He looks like a lemon." She finished, imitating her uncles constant sour expression.

The truck roared with laughter. Finn and Jake both held a fist up to show appreciation for the roast she had just delivered. Through heavy laughter, she firmly planted her fists on her friends. Jake pretended to wipe a tear from his eye - Or maybe he did laugh so hard he cried, Bonnie couldn't tell. "Man Bonnie, that was golden." Finn confirmed. "Like, A! U just roasted him to perfection." He blushed, eyeing the rear-view mirror to see if Bonnie had caught his science joke. Jake simply shook his head, and jeered. Bonnie snorted, and put on a smile - For his ego's sake. Jake stretched his arm over to his brother, and playfully pushed his head away. "Get out. Just, no. You need to go." To which Finn promptly swatted his hand away, now staring out the window.

"Oh gob, we missed our turn!" Jake yelled, cutting clean through the aftermath of Finn's joke. Bonnie could see Finn's body loosen up as attention was diverted from his joke. She couldn't help but giggle.

Jake made a block, and pulled into the parking lot of the humble little coffee shop. 'Edge of Town Coffee'. As the truck was brought to a stop and the engine silenced, Finn opened his door, and leapt from his seat, hitting the ground with a thud, his long blond locks following in hot pursuit. He quickly opened Bonnibel's door with a half bow, and in a teasing tone said "Princess." She gave him a smirk as she climbed out - Literally, climbed out. She didn't realize how tightly she was packed into the backseat until she went to exit the vehicle.

The coffee shop was small, but had the appearance of being well maintained. The windows where adorned with large steaming coffee cup stickers, and a small hedge bush was kept perfectly trimmed, guarding the perimeter of the establishment. "You guys ready to go in?" Jake asked, wearing a larger-than-life smile. "I swear, this place is the bees-knees."

* * *

The coffee shop was the bees-knees. The coffee was exceptional, and the ambiance was even better. Very dimly lit, which was perfect for those sluggish mornings. The windows seemed to reduce the natural light that tried to flood in, and brighten the room. There were no stand-alone tables, only a bar and several booths that had floral couches for seats - Generally, Bonnibel found floral to be tacky, but these were adorable, and in good taste. However, her friends, nor the coffee, nor the ambiance, nor the astoundingly low prices held Bonnibel's attention. She was focused firmly on identifying the girl sitting across the room. She hadn't noticed them at first, and she most likely wouldn't have noticed - Or cared - had Jake not went over to deliver, what he called a 'bro-shake', to an excessively large boy at the table.

The mystery girl was sitting across the room with two guys, and another girl. She was easily able to identify everyone else at the table. The brunette girl with with the messy shoulder length brown hair (Always pulled into some form of an up-do) was Keila Lyvelle Palmer. The lanky guy with the shaggy light brown hair and mustache goatee combo sitting beside her was Guy Giovanni Rockbell - Her boyfriend. The stout man with the short, but stylish, dirty blond hair, who towered over the others - Even while sitting - was none other than Henry Bartholomew Bonham. Most people just called in "Bongo", though. Even his football jersey read "Bongo."

All three where Seniors, and she had Guy and Keila in couple of her classes last year. They where three among hundreds that came to Conner O'Neill High School after the neighboring town of Camden - Even smaller than O'Neill - consolidated with O'Neill, and lost funding for their school a year ago. She had never been to friendly with any of them, but she had never been rude neither. They were just part of two different worlds. However, the girl with them that captivated her, she had never seen her at school - Even though she appeared to be her age - And she couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen her somewhere before. _'Who is that...? I know her..'_

Bonnibel's gaze locked on the mystery girl, eyeing her head to toe. Her hair was long. _'Even longer than mine. Or Finn's, for a fact.'_ It was jet black, and a section on the left side of her head had been shaven from her ear to the crown of her head to reveal her scalp. She was wearing a red and black flannel shirt, with the sleeves rolled to her elbow, skin tight faded jeans, ripped and frayed in many places, and a pair of black and white checkerboard slip ons. Bonnie wasn't able to make out her eye color in the dimly lit room, but she could tell the girl on trial's eyes kept darting in her direction. Usually, Bonnie would be made to feel uncomfortable in a situation like this, but she was so perplexed by the identity of this familiar girl she had briefly forgotten staring was rude. ' _I think that's... No, it couldn't be... Could it?'_

After closer examination, Bonnie was able to pick out a few other distinguishing features on the girl in question, in the form of tattoos. She could make out, what appeared to be, two small dots on the left side of her neck. She had a word tattooed across the inside of her right forearm, that she believed to read "Marshall." _'Marshall..?'_ As the girl turned to talk to Bongo, she was able to catch a glimpse of a dagger tattooed on the back of her neck. _'I think that is... I think that is Marceline'_ A small smile found its way to Bonnibel's face. The girl was now standing, facing her, yelling at someone. "Hey!" She was able to see words tattooed wrapping across the girls collar bones, but her shirt covered too much for her to be able to decipher the script.

"Hey!" The girl yelled once more. ' _I think that is, that must be Marceline!_ ' Bonnibel's smile widened. Her concentration was broke shortly after when she felt a boney finger make contact with her cheek, causing her to jolt. "What the gunk, Finn? What?" She gasped, sounding more irritated then she ment to. Finn simply pointed at the girl standing across the room. "I think she's talking to you." Bonnie returned her attention to the girl she was fairly certain was her childhood best friend. She stood glaring at her from across room. Bonnie suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her as she realized she'd been staring for a few minutes. The girl just stood smacking her lips ever so often like she really wanted to say something. She didn't. She turned and briskly walked out of the coffee shop, leaving all of her friends to glance at each other in bewilderment.

"What a wad." Jake snorted, taking a sip of his coffee. Bonnie shook her head to clear her thoughts and stood abruptly. "Wait!" She yelled, but the girl was already outside, and well out of earshot. The entirety of the coffee shops patrons where now staring at her, but she paid them no mind as she jogged across the room. She flung the door open, causing the bells fastened atop the door to go mental. Carefully, but quickly she navigated her way down the stairs. "Wait!" She called out once more, however the girl just kept walking down the sidewalk. "Marceline? Is that you? It's me, Bonnibel! Remember?" Bonnie was positive it was Marceline Reigh Abadeer, her childhood best friend. There was no way it could be anyone else. She could recognize her best friend, no matter how many years had passed.

The girl in question stopped dead in her tracks, her head slumped. Bonnie's smile continued to grow as she watched the girl swivel around on her heels. Bonnie took a step toward her, fully prepared to run and embrace her, once it came out in the open that it was her. It had been years since she'd had her best friend in her life. ' _Marceline..._ ' The girl hesitated. "I'm... Amber. I don't know you, sorry." Amber shouted, turning away instantly and picking up her pace.

Bonnibel's heart sank. She felt a flush of heat overwhelm her, she actually felt a bit dizzy - Whatever this feeling was, she didn't like it. She slowly turned around to go back inside and sit down, when she noticed Amber's entourage standing behind her. Then came the embarrassment. It started in her stomach, and quickly worked it's way to her throat. Bonnie nervously looked at the ground, trying to avoid anyone's eyes. "Hey," Keila mumbled, "Don't worry about it. It's just... Uh, It's Amber's time of the month. Yeah. She's just a bit cranky." Keila's kind-hearted attempt to make Bonnie feel better, only made her face turn a deeper shade of red. Bonnie cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah, sorry about that. Uh, you guys have a good day." She mumbled, as she scurried around the couple and the giant.

* * *

The ride home felt a lot longer to Bonnie than the ride there. She sat, cramped, in the back of Jake's pickup silently mulling over the events of the day. _'I feel like such an idiot...'_

She continued to make casual conversation with her friends for the duration of the trip, to the best of her ability, to keep up the image that the incident had not shaken her. She had never been one to get involved - Not prematurely, anyway. If she was going to put her dignity and reputation on the line, she was sure she was right. She can't afford to run through coffee shops, and yell at people. It's not who she is - Or has ever been.

Despite her best efforts, both brothers where well aware that she was upset about the events that had transpired. They have heard her talk about Marceline on a handful of occasions, and realized how much Bonnie desperately wanted that girl to be her old best friend. Not to mention the embarrassment of the whole situation. It had to have hurt Bonnie's pride, even if only a bit.

As the truck slowed to a stop in front of Bonnibel's house, Finn went through the process of letting her escape the confinements of the backseat. While they were saying their farewell's for the day, Jake's face grew long. "I'm sorry Bonnie, had I known I wouldn't have, ya know, took you out there." She smiled weakly, reading his eyes like a book _'He thinks this is his fault somehow.'_ "Don't worry about it, Jake. There's no way you could of known. It's whateve's. For real, don't be upset about it." She said in a confident voice, fully realizing that she had been telling herself the same phrase for the past twenty minutes, to no avail. Jake perked up, "Well, same to you. It happens, you know?" Finn smiled, and agreed with his brother.

'That's just the kind of people they are.' Bonnie told herself, smiling genuinely. She was thankful to have friends that were supportive, caring, and thoughtful. Even if most of the time they were in-and-out of some sort of mischief, it was all light hearted, and in good fun.

Bonnie stood outside and waved them off, watching as they drove away. Waiting till they were well out of sight to exhale deeply, and let her smile fade. _'Well, at least I'll still get to see mom._ ' She told herself, in an effort to cheer up.

Once Bonnie had composed herself, she walked the short driveway up to her home. As she breached the threshold, she heard a voice from another room in the house. "Bonnibel, is that you?" It was Presley. "Yeah, it's me. When are you supposed to go get mom? I think I want to come with." She shouted, in no particular direction, climbing the stairs to her room. She heard feet shuffling, and paused half way up the stair case. Shortly after, a short, much older gentleman with thick slicked back red hair, riddled with grey streaks rounded the corner and stared up at her. She could tell be the expression on his face that she would not be pleased with the news he was about to deliver.

Presley fumbled over his words, trying to find the right way to tell her the relevant news. Bonnie grew impatient. "What? Did mom's plane get delayed or something?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. He sighed. "No, not exactly. See, Miss Dianne isn't going to be able to make it. Something really important came up with her work, and she called to inform me this morning that she had to cancel last minute, and she apologizes, sincerely." His eyes darted away from hers.

The room grew silent. Bonnibel felt something welling up inside of her. Her vision blurred in the corners. "Well," She started, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "She couldn't have told me herself? She couldn't have called?" Presley's lips grew thin, his red and grey beard appearing to consume them. He began kicking his foot nervously. "Well, she did, dear." He paused. "When she couldn't reach you, she called me, and after she told me, I tried calling you, but you seem to have forgotten your phone in your room this morning."

Bonnibel's breathing became heavy, but she composed herself. "Thank you, Presley. I'm going to my room for a nap. It's been a long day, already, and I think I would like to go back to sleep." She said in an eerily calm voice. Presley nodded his head. "If there's anything you need, please feel free to call for me. I'm in the process of making lunch, if you would like me to leave you a tray by your door, I shall." Bonnibel did not respond to his offer, she just continued the trek to her room.

Once safely inside her room, Bonnie gingerly shut the door, locking it behind her. She collapsed into her bed, and fished for her phone beneath the covers. Upon locating it, she clicked the lock button, which revealed she had one missed call, from 'Mom.' She sighed, trying to keep herself from breaking down. She quickly unlocked her phone, and thumbed over a few pages till she found her social media app, and tapped it. The screen took only seconds load. She tapped the "Friend Request" button. When it loaded, she thumbed down several pages till she came to a pending friend request she had sent nearly three years back. With a quick tap she clicked on the person's name. Marceline Reigh Abadeer. The page loaded promptly, and she gazed through the available photos. _'These are all three or four years old... But.. I swear that was her.. Or I thought it was.._ "

With a long sigh, the phone was promptly powered off and discarded to the floor. Bonnie pulled a pillow over her head, taking deep breaths, trying to fight what she knew was coming. _'I_ _ **almost**_ _got reunited with my best friend, or so I thought, and I_ _ **almost**_ _got to see my mom for the first time in a year...'_ Bonnibel had grown sick of the word almost. Nothing good ever came from that word. Her breathing intensified. She couldn't keep it in any longer, it was years overdue.

For whatever reason, it picked that (once) lovely Friday morning to finally escape its shackles and run free, coursing through the fibers of her very being. There was no time, there was no warning. Only overwhelming sadness.

Bonnie gave in and wept silently into her pillow.

* * *

 _ **Authors Note:**_ Feel free to leave reviews and what have you, I will do my very best to post a new chapter and reply in a timely manner. I work graveyards, so yeah. There's that to work around.

I hope all you lovely readers enjoyed the start of this story. But I must warn you ahead of time, hold on to your feels (and maybe your soul) this story is going to be hectic, gritty, and beautiful.


	2. Chapter 2: Marceline

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"The room is dark. The air wreaks of death and decay. The walls are adorned with torches, that seem to cast little to no light whatsoever." Keila explains, her voice soft and dreary. "Search check!" Guy yells, ecstatically. Keila nods her head in his direction, her eyes narrow. "Eighteen." Guy grumbles. "Alright, you look around the room, and along the walls you take notice of a few elongated holes in the walls, and a few mounds scattered around the room." Keila's eyes shift around the table. "Well, what are you going to do?"

Marceline glances at Bongo, then at Guy. "I pull out my axe-lute, and play a cord." She says. Keila nods, "Alright, as soon as the sound echos, a violent whirlwind begins circulating around the room. The stench of death grows stronger. In the midst of the whirlwind, you see six skeletons take form from the holes in the walls." Keila grins. "I knew it!" Guy shouts, tensing up.

"Roll for initiative!" Keila screams, dramatically. Four twenty-sided die bounced across the table momentarily before coming to a stop. "Seventeen" Bongo announces. "Twenty-three" Marceline says, smiling. Guy sighs, loudly, "Eight..." Keila giggles. "Ahh, babe, the dice giveth, and the dice taketh away." She pouts at him, teasingly. "Alright, the Skeletons got an eleven on their roll, so, Marce, you're up first." With a crack of her knuckles, Marceline leans forward, examining the grid board. "Alright," she huffs "Guy, take the two on the left, Bongo take the middle two, and help me with my two when you're finished, sounds good?" Bongo smirks and nods his head. Guy just mumbled under his breath.

Marceline's eyes fixate on Keila, a fierce intensity resonates within them. "I'll move up to this skeleton," She announces, picking up her miniature figurine, and moving it six five-feet-squares, and planting it firmly in front of the skeletal figurine. "and make my attack with my axe-lute." Marceline says, as she tossed a twenty-sided die on the table. It tumbles around briefly, before stopping on a nineteen. She smiles, "With my attack bonus, that's a... Twenty-six, and a critical threat." Keila nods her head. Marceline rolls the D20 one more time, rolling a fourteen. "Plus my attack bonus... That's a twenty-one. Critical hit, baby!" Marceline cheers, giving Bongo a fist bump. Guy smiles, darting his eyes to his girlfriend. Marceline could tell Guy was loving this, because Keila had boasted heavily about how she was going to "kill a player character this session." However, the dice seemed to be on Marceline's side tonight. ' _So it won't be me. Not this battle-bard!'_

Three twelve-sided dice roll across the table, Marceline eagerly awaiting their halt. "Ten... Eight... Twelve... Plus my damage bonuses... So, that comes up to... Thirty-nine!" She grins, looking up to see Keila's face. With a huff, Keila mumbled "Yeah, that skeletons dead. Beyond dead." Marceline nods her head, smiling. "Well, you got to tell how it happened." Keila grumbles. "Oh! Right, sorry, I don't crit often." Marceline laughs, "Well, as soon as I saw the skelletons forming, I grabbed the neck of my axe-lute, and charged straight at one of them. As I closed the distance, I reared my axe-lute behind my head, and came down with a powerfully flurry of blows, crushing the skeleton's skull. As its body crumpled, limp, he let out a disembodied scream, that echoed throughout the dungeon." She threw herself backwards, slumping into the couch, a satisfied look creeping across her face.

Keila snorted, as smoke billowed from her mouth. "Well, if it had to die right off, I guess I couldn't have asked for a better way for it to go." She hesitates briefly. "So, I think that brings us to your turn." She points to Bongo.

Bongo cleared his throat. "Alright. So, what's about to happen is this." He said, definitively. "I'm going to charge attack-kick this skeleton," He stated, pointing out which figurine he intended to hit. "And topple him into the other skeleton." His face grew long as he debated the success rate of his attack.

Keila sighed, "Alright, well, you'll have to make an unarmed attack roll... Plus you'll take a negative penalty for trying to kick re-animated bones. So, if that's what you want to do, be my guest." She chirped, smirking. A smile crept onto Bongo's face. "Doing it." He said as he hurled his D20 onto the table. it danced around shortly, before landing firmly on a seventeen. Bongo quickly glanced at his character sheet. "Alright, that's... Plus five for my strength modifier and plus two on my unarmed strikes... With a negative three for kicking a bone man. So, twenty-one." He beamed.

Keila hung her head in disbelief. She sighed, while everyone else in the room grinned. "Yeah, that's a hit." She mumbled. "You knocked that skeleton back onto that one... Both of them took five points of falling damage." She pouted. Guy's face lit up. "The dice giveth, and the dice taketh away." He chimed in, teasingly. Keila grunted. "Yeah, well, the DM has final say. Would you like a tree to fall on your precious level 12 Human Rouge in his sleep?" She snapped, eyes widening. Bongo and Marceline stifled their laughs, as Guy conceded back to silence.

With a crack of her neck, Keila whipped her head back around to face the tabletop grid board that held all the figurines. "Alright." She smiled sinister. "Let's kill some player characters." She quickly arranged the three standing skeletons into new positions, and then lifted the skeleton in front of Bongo's character back to it's feet. "Attack of opportunity!" Bongo yelled, gently slapping the table, before rolling his D20. As it stopped he peered over to view what fate it held for his Orc Barbarians attack of opportunity, and it was promising.

"Fifteen" He smiled. "With my attack bonuses... That's twenty-three." Keila sighed again. Bongo didn't even wait for Keila to confirm the hit - If twenty-one had hit, there was no way twenty-three couldn't. A D12 was launched across the table, accidentally falling to the floor. "Man, Bongbro, you gotta quit throwing them." Guy laughed, glancing down to view the results. "Sorry man, I just get excited, you know?" He apologized, his voice soft and sincere. Guy picked Bongo's die up and slid it to him across the table. "It's all good bro. By the way, you rolled an eleven." Bongo's face lit up. Good rolls always make you feel fantastic. He glanced down at his character sheet. "So that's an eleven naturally, and a... Eighteen with my damage bonuses." He stated, looking up at Keila. She snorted. "Yeah, he's not dead... Well, re-dead, but he is looking pretty rough." She grumbled, as she marked down the skeleton's loss of hit points on her paper.

"Okay! Now that that's out of the way," She huffed. "It's their turn to attack!" Keila let a handful of D20's go into a small cardboard box she kept for secret rolls - A Dungeon Master always has a way to make secret rolls, so the players aren't able to meta-game and figure out what numbers and percentages they need to hit to be successful at their tasks. Her head flopped back, her mouth hanging open. She grabbed another cigarette and lit it promptly. "You have to fucking me." She exhaled. "What?" Marceline smirked. "Apparently... These skeletons can't hit the broadside of a dick!" She screamed, causing laughter to erupt from everyone in the room. Once the laughter died down, and Keila let out another sigh, she pointed at Guy. "I believe that brings us to your turn, babe."

Guy snatched his D20 off of the table, and popped his neck. "Don't fuck me now, common..." He mumbled, rolling the die around in his hand. "Alright, so I'm going to attack this skeleton, with my blessed sliver dagger." He states confidently, pointing at a small skeletal figurine. "Alright, babe, make the roll." Keila retorts. Guy rolls the dice around in his hand a bit longer, before setting it free upon the table top. It whisks around briefly before coming to a halt. "... One." Guy jeered. "Fucking one." Keila tried very hard not to laugh. "Sorry babe, but I can't excuse a critical failure..." Guy crosses his arms, and leans back in his chair. "So..." Keila drags on, despite her boyfriends suddenly sour mood. "As Guy is running to engage this skeleton, he trips on a mound of bones, and his dagger slides across the room." She hesitates, and glances over at her boyfriend, who simply rolled his eyes. "But, babe, you aren't within range to promote an attack of opportunity..!" She throws on a fake smile, to which he mocked and averted his gaze away from her.

Marceline couldn't help but notice the genuine smile that crept across Keila's face when she was looking at Guy. Even when he was being a child, she still adored him. She couldn't help but crack a smile at her best friend.

* * *

The party made short work of the skeletons, with no one getting severely injured - Aside from Marceline, who took a battle-axe to the shoulder, for twelve points of damage. Guy pepped up after he had a good roll, letting him hook his fingers through a skeleton's eye sockets, and tear its head off - He kept the skull as a souvenir. After the skeleton's unlife was taken, the party looted the corpses, finding minute amounts of gold, a few stale potions, and a brass key that was hot to the touch.

Marceline fished around her pants pocket, in search of her cigarettes. She snapped her fingures in realization that she left them on the table earlier. She leaned forward, extending her arm across the table to grab her pack. "Damn, Marce. That's like your third since we entered this room." Guy chuckles, expelling smoke. She puffed her chest out at him defensively, "Hey, man, D&D gets me excited. At least I'm not like Keila, who has to pee every five minutes." They all shared a laugh. Keila couldn't deny it. Dungeons and Dragons shrank her bladder.

"Hey, Bongs, you got any not-stale potions of cure light wounds?" Marceline asks, cocking her head to face him. "Yeah, I think so, you need some?" He retorts.

"What happened to yours? You had more than any of us!" Guy exclaims, arching an an eyebrow.

With a roll of the eyes, Marceline explains. "Well... See, I kind of lost them at the last tavern we were in... During a arm wrestling contest." Guys jaw dropped. She squints her eyes at him, "Don't judge me. I thought for sure the dwarf would beat the gnome. I mean, it is a logical bet, right?" She glances to Keila, an expectant look on her face. "Right?"

Keila laughs. "Yeah, to be honest, I was even more shocked than Marceline when the gnome won. The dice just really wanted him to win." Marceline's head whipped back around to Guy, her long black hair flowing with the swift motion. "See!" She yells, with a laugh. Guy shook his head, and leaned back in his chair, fighting a laugh - Guy takes his D&D pretty seriously, in his own weird semi-childish way.

Bongo had a laugh with the girls, before nodding his head at Keila. "Alright K, I'm giving Marce some potions." Keila nodded her head in response. "Thanks, bro." She gave him another fist bump, before turning to Keila. "Obviously, I drink the shit out of that potion. Axe wounds don't heal themselves, you know." Which got a chuckle out of Keila.

"Alright, are you all ready to proceed?" Keila asked, slumping forward and propping her arms on the edge of the table. The party all gave her confirmation. "Alright, theirs only one way to go from here, lady and gents. Out." She says. Bongo and Guy nodded in agreement.

"Wait!" Marceline shouted, holding her hand up high in the air, fidgeting with her cigarette as he pondered her next words. "I think we should take the brass key back to the main room and unlock the fat ass door, and claim the prize for ourselves. I mean, what are the High Priests of that town going to do with it?" A sly smile crept across her face. A very similar smile crept onto Keila's.

* * *

One boss fight, and a chest full of loot later, Keila brought the Dungeons and Dragons session to an end, causing several groans from the group. However, being a Dungeon Master is more work than most people are aware of. You have to write the scenery, the dungeons, the towns. Build the non-player characters, and how they act, build the monsters, and control all of them. Keila just didn't have enough material written to continue the campaign any further that particular session.

With a toothy smile, Keila exhaled smoke from her nostrils. "Don't worry, I got some exciting things in mind for you guys next weekend, if you guys are up to it?" She said, in a challenging tone, giving a slight wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Hell yeah." All three said in unison.

A short burst of silence overcame the group, as they relaxed from a tense session. The only sound audible was the sound of cigarettes burning, and ticking of the second-hand fixated on the wall. "So, good session babe. You never seem to disappoint." Guy said, snubbing his cigarette out in the tray. Keila blushed a bit, leaning over the arm of her chair to kiss him. He met her half way.

Marceline turned her head to face Bongo, who was sitting at the other end of the couch. He caught her stare and cocked his head to face her in time to see her curl her lip in a teasing manner. He chuckled, causing her to laugh as well. Their laughter thickened as they went back and forth making faces at each other, poorly imitating their friends. In response, Keila began making excessively loud smacking noises while kissing Guy, which in turn, plunged Guy into a fit of laughter.

They were a close-knit group. The four of them. Marceline, Bongo, Guy, and Keila. Not just in the fantasy world of Dungeons and Dragons, but in the real world as well. They played well off of each other, and read each others emotions and body language near flawlessly. No one really understood them - But them. Not to say they didn't have heated debates, and disagree from time-to-time.

The laughter died shortly after it began, but there wasn't a face in the room that did not wear a smile. _'This is nice, I needed this.'_ Marceline thought, taking in the happiness on all of her friends faces, as they sat in the dimly lit basement. "You know, we are the stereotypical D &D nerds, you guys realize that right? I mean, we're sitting in Guy's dim-lit basement." Marceline comments with a giggle. Keila snorted.

"As if. How many D&D nerds are this cool?" She retorts, defensively, popping the collar on her flannel, and sinking back in her chair. The room fell silent. Keila's eyes darted back and forth to the blank expressions on her friends faces. "Aight. Fuck you guys... So maybe we are." She mumbled, crossing her arms. Which generated a burst of laughter around the room. Before long, even Keila joined in.

As the laughter faded, Guy cleared his throat. "Man, I really don't want to start school tomorrow." The entire room moaned. "Yeah, well, at least its our last year." Bongo nodded his head, offering Guy a high five. Guy returned the gesture. "Yeah, but still. That's a whole year I have to muscle through. Lets just... Get the band going strong and drop out." Guy says, raising his hands. Keila swatted the hand closest to her. "I don't wanna hear it. It's only one year. You'll live." She smiled, blowing him a kiss. Guys groan was long and obnoxious.

Bongo ignored Guy, and turned his head to Marceline. His eyes quickly darted to Keila, who gave him a subtle nod of the head. She knew he was about to address the situation they had all been avoiding - They had discussed it the day prior, and Bongo drew the short straw in being the one to initiate the confrontation. "Speaking of school, what's up with that girl at the coffee shop the other day? Wasn't that a girl from our class? I meant to ask you the other day, but I forgot." Keila jumped in before Marceline could formulate a reply. "Yeah, isn't that Bonnibel? She acted like she knew you. What's up with that? And... 'Amber?' What?" She laughed, a bit nervously. Guy was still groaning in the background.

"Wait, how do you know Bonnie?" Marceline says, lifting an eyebrow.

A sly grin crept across Keila's face. "Oh, so it's ' _Bonnie_ ' now, huh? Alright, spill it." _Fuck_.

By now, Guy had stopped and was sitting forward listening intently. Marceline's eyes darted to each of her friends eyes, before she sighed and sunk deeper into the couch. "Alright, alright. I know her from way back. Like, way-way back." Her arms now crossed. Keila twirled her hand, expectantly. Marceline took notice and quickly shot her glance away from her friends. "Well, we used to hang out a lot as kids. And I sort of haven't talked to her in years." She mumbled, her raspy voice slowly fading out as she spoke.

The room fell quiet once again, everyone taken back by Marceline's sudden attitude shift. Keila's eyes focused on Guys. They both shrugged their shoulders, and tensed their throats. Bongo's eyes, however, stayed fixated on Marceline. The shaved portion of her hair was revealing the half of her face she would usually be able to hide with her hair. He could tell she was lost in her thoughts - And not the pleasant ones, either.

"Well," Guy spoke up, "I mean, why'd you lie to her the other day?" Keila leaned over and firmly struck his left arm. He winced, diverting his attention to her. Being subtle never was Guy's strong suit.

 _'Because she... and it just... Sort of happened.'_ Marceline sighed. "I really have no idea why I did that. And I know I'm going to pay for it... I guess I just didn't want to talk to her." She whipped her body around to face guy, her voice grew suddenly defensive. "I mean, what's wrong with that?" Guy threw his hands up in innocence.

Keila stood from her chair. "Alright, do I need to separate you two?" The two bickering friends eyes narrowed on each other, before diverting their attention to Keila. "They started it!" They both exclaimed pointing a finger at one another. Keila sighed. "Alright. Marce, you come with me." Marceline nestled her butt deeper into the couch cushion, crossing her arms. "And what if I don't want to go?" Keila groaned, rolling her eyes. "A tree will fall on your D&D character."

Marceline mulled it over for a minute before slumping further into the couch, so far she was practically laying on the cushion she had been sitting on. She loved her Half-Demon Battle-Bard. So, she extended a hand towards the other girl to help her stand. With an amused snort, Keila walked over to pull her friend up. As they made their way around the table to exit the basement, Guy stood up. "Hey Marce, I didn't mean to get under your skin." He said, in the most apologetic voice he was capable of. Both the girls snickered. A smile graced Marceline's face. "It's all good, bro." She insisted, throwing her arms out for a hug. He stepped forward to embrace his friend.

When they broke contact, Keila nodded her head toward the door. Marceline followed behind her, grabbing her skateboard that was propped against the wall on her way out. A short flight of stairs later, the two girls found themselves in the back hallway of the small house. As they made the necessary turns to get to the front door they passed Guy's mother, who smiled and waved. They returned the gesture before continuing outside the estate. A brisk breeze slammed the two. Marceline shivered. "I didn't think it was suppose to be this cold this time of year." Keila just shrugged and turned to face Marceline, but she had already mounted her skateboard, and pushed off as soon as Keila turned around.

Marceline road down the driveway a ways before landing a successful kick flip, and whipping the board back around. Seconds later she was back within a comfortable talking distance. "Alright, so spill it, Marce. Why does 'Bonnie' get you so worked up?" Keila couldn't hear it over the sound of her skating, but she knew Marceline had just sighed.

"I don't know." Marceline muttered, riding circles around her friend. "I just don't want to talk about it. And I definitely don't want to talk to her."

Keila visibly sighed. "Marceline, you know you won't be able to avoid her all school year. You're going to have to talk to her, at least once." Marceline's reply was a shrug. "And, she's probably going to be pretty upset you lied to her when she realizes it was you at the coffee shop. Not to mention, is she the reason you've been so picky about where you go since you got here? You've basically been a shut in this past summer. That's just not you."

Marceline felt overwhelmed with questions. She skidded to a stop on her board and popped it up, catching it in her right hand. _'Yes'_ "N-No" She stuttered, "I just... I don't know." There was a long lapse in conversation. Eventually Marceline let out a over exaggerated exhale. "I just, I mean, how would I even begin to tell her I've been somewhat local all these years, and haven't even tried to see her?" Her usually raspy voice grew incredibly soft.

Another long pause filled the air. Keila frowned. "I guess you just tell her the truth?" Marceline's face came to life in that instance. _'No. No, no, no. Anything but that. I don't think I'll ever be ready for that.'_ She tried to compose herself a bit better before speaking. "I don't think that would be a good idea." She mumbled, laughing dryly. Keila put a caring hand on her shoulder. "Marce, I want to help you, but I have to understand you first. I've gotten pretty good at reading you, but this is a new one for me. What is going on?" Keila's eyes narrowed in a way that made Marceline feel very uncomfortable - An emotion she wasn't too familiar with. "Does it have anything to do with Ash? Cause I swear I'll-" Marceline cut her off swiftly. "No, it has nothing to do with that loser. I'm... I'm over him. It's just..." She fell silent, and her head slumped.

Minutes passed without a word. Marceline reached up and took Keila's hand in hers, with a sigh. ' _I wish I could understood, myself.'_ She took in a deep breath of air, preparing to speak, but Keila cut her off. It was as if she had just read her mind. "I get it Marce. Don't worry. I know you can't explain what you don't know." A faint smile formed on Marceline's face. "Thanks, K. Can you just help me like, avoid her?" Keila used her free hand to caress her friends face. The weight of Marceline's head fell into Keila's hand, and her lengthy black hair now covered most of her face. Keila laughed, and tucked the hair behind the girls ear with the hand that had previously been occupied by her friends hand.

Marceline smiled. She looked genuinely happy in that moment. The moonlight was catching her in a way that really brought out the subtle features of her face. The way her dull, yearning, eyes looked in this moment, threatened to awake a piece of Keila that she thought she had stifled many years ago. She couldn't help but smile back at her dearest friend. Marceline rested her hand on Keila's face in a moment of acceptance, and understanding. Keila locked eyes with Marceline, and held her glance firmly. Both girls silently soaking in the compassion of their closest friend.

Keila cleared her throat. "I can't make any promises, Marceline. I have no problem with the girl, and as far as you've told me she's never done you wrong. I won't be rude to her, or snub her. But, if this _really_ means this much to you, I will do my best to ensure you have as little interaction with her as possible." She said firmly, making sure to stress the point she would not be rude to Bonnibel - It's just not who she is, she has to have a reason to dislike someone.

Marceline let her head slump more into Keila's hand, as one of her signature smirks emerged on her face. Keila subconsciously returned the gestures. "I couldn't ask anymore of you, Keila. You're a great friend." She paused. "No, a perfect friend." Marceline had an underlying tone of genuine appreciation - Which caught Keila off guard, because she only sounds that way when talking about music she is fascinated by. Keila couldn't help but blush, and tuck her face into, her friends hand. "Oh shut up, I'm not that great."

"Oh, yes you are." Marceline snickered, patting Keila on the head, messing up her already messy hair. Keila scrunched her nose initially, before shooting her friend a death glare. The moment was gone, but that was just how Marceline lived. She never stayed in one moment for too long. She didn't like to be caught up. Anyone willing to follow her on her life's journey had to accept that. Keila was no exception.

* * *

 _ **Authors Note:**_ Well, I hope you lovely ladies and gents like (Or have heard of) Dungeons and Dragons. It has, over the past year, became a pretty frequent and entertaining portion of my life. I play a Human Dread Pirate named Jarlin BroJack, who was a famous pirate captain, before he gave that life away to raise a family. Sadly, his old crew returned and killed his family, leaving him alive. Now, he is fighting along side a disgraced Human Paladin named Hexus, a female cannibal Halfling Barbarian named Lilly, a god-possessed female Human Mage named Muse, a drunken Dwarf Monk named Draxx, a powerful undead Dark Elf Necromancer named Rengar, and has his own ship in a bottle that he can pull out at any time and have a full sized ship. The catch? He swore to his wife he would never use a weapon designed to kill again... So he uses a woodcutting saw, a carving chisel, and a lumber chain to combat the forces of evil! I'm telling you, D&D is fun. I encourage it. Honestly, I could write _**so**_ many stories just based on all the things that have happened in the D&D campaign I've been playing. That would be intense.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Expect another one before too much longer. (Sorry, I'm no good with schedules, so you'll have to bear with me here.)


	3. Chapter 3: Finn

Chapter 3

* * *

Finn yelped as he accidentally hit his thumb with his tool, causing Jake to momentarily conclude his own hammering to check on his little brother. "You all good, man?" Jake asked from across the structure. Finn dropped his hammer and sucked on his thumb, shifting from foot to foot before responding. "Yeah, I'm fine." He retorted, halfheartedly. "But why do we have to put so many braces and cross braces, and blah, blah, blah everywhere." He mumbled with a scowl. Jake just snorted, and went back to hammering, speaking in between the metallic clang of the hammer forcing the nail through the grains.

"Because... If we want to... Live up here... We have to... Make it safe... Or mom will never allow it." He drove his nail all the way in as he finished speaking.

With a huff, Finn picked his hammer back up. "Yeah, you think mom and dad are actually going to let us live up here?" He asked, genuinely curious. Jake spun around to face his brother. He made a long fart noise with his mouth, which got a laugh out of Finn - It always did. "Yeah, I do." Jake said confidently. "I was all skepts until the other day, I was talking to dad about where we could get some more wood, and then we got to talking, and he said that if we get the tree house safe enough for mom's liking, then he'll even have an electrician come out and wire it up for us!" He announced, walking over and putting Finn in a head lock. "Hey!" Finn shouted, through laughter. "Get off me man!" He playfully pushed Jake back. "That is freakin' sweet though." Finn acknowledged, nodding his head slowly. "But, can you even really consider this a tree house? I mean, its built around a tree... But it also connects to the ground, and has a staircase."

Jake waved a hand at him. "Semantics. Is it in a tree?" Jake asked, sarcastically. "Yes." He finished, before Finn could respond. "Therefore, it's a tree house. And, we built it. And... It only took... All summer..." His voice trailed off, and his gaze diverted to the ground. Finn smirked, "Ah, cheer up man. It won't be long, and we'll have our own place. Just think about it man." Jake perked up. "Yeah, you know. We got the room downstairs to put all of our useless crap in, two bedrooms - Small but whatever, the bathroom - undeniably small, but still, this sweet living room, and that hatch to the roof. You know, this was so worth the summer it took!" Jake wore a toothy smile. "Yeah, that's what im talking about!" The brothers exchanged a fist bump.

The two brothers went back to putting boards up and hammering them into place without a word. Jake quietly hummed a tune, but there was no other communication. Several silent minutes passed before Finn remembered a question he sought answers to. "Oh, hey, where has Viv been? I haven't seen her in a bit. You guys alright?"

Jake sighed loudly, his shoulders slumped a bit. "Yeah, she's went to visit her dad's side of the family for a month or so." Then he made a quick click with his tongue, and went right back to the task at hand. Finn shifted around to face his brother. "Wait, all the way in Korea?" He asked, as if he didn't already know the answer. "Yep." Jake retorted, letting the last consonant pop on his lips.

"Huh." Finn snorted, before returning to his work. "How about you? You been texting that girl we met out in town the other day?" Jake yelled over the clanking. Finn's face twisted a bit. He glanced over his shoulder, and sure enough, Jake was staring at him, just as he expected - Honestly, this was why it took all summer to build the tree house. Conversations kept erupting, which in turn, disrupted their productivity.

Finn darted his eyes back to the half driven nail, and started pounding it in. "Nah." He muttered, loud enough for Jake to hear. His brother, in turn, sighed loud enough for him to hear. "Bro." Jake paused. "Just text her. Obviously she wouldn't have given you her number if she wasn't interested in talking to you!" He whined, walking over to Finn, and grabbing his hammer mid swing. Finn huffed, and shuffled around to face him, letting go of the handle of his tool. It fell to the ground, apparently Jake hadn't held on too tightly. He sank back against the wall braces he'd just been working on. Not even a creak. _'Sturdy enough.'_

"I don't know man." Finn sighed, gesticulating as he spoke. "She's just, just... A _girl_." He said - As if that statement really carried any weight, whatsoever. Jake raised an eyebrow. "And...? You talk to half of the girls at school - Flip, most of them want to date you!" He yelled, his usually scruffy voice taking a higher pitch suddenly. Finn snorted, and ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, she's like a _girl-girl_ , bro. I can't do that. I don't even know what to say." Jake simply huffed. "Alright, bro, listen. Girls like guys who are courageous, and brave, and spontaneous. Yes? The hero type?" Jake stated, more than asked. Finn's only reply was how thin his lips became, as he pondered the thought. "And that's who you've always been, right up until this point. This isn't very hero-like of you. You got to take this by the reigns and ride this stead!"

Finn's hand shot up to protest, but it slowly slid back down. His face now twisted with confusion. 'Hero _type..._ ' With a long sigh, he smiled. "I have no idea what being a hero has to do with talking to a girl... But for whatever reason, I can't deny that it was a good pep talk. I'll talk to her. Today. Maybe." Jake laughed, "Well, you're already one step closer in the right direction." He commented, raising a fist to his brother. Finn promptly returned the gesture, and their knuckles bumped.

"Thanks, bro. You always know what to say." Finn smiled, nodding his head slowly. In return, Jake laughed, and crossed his eyes. "Glee gee blam, bloo bop." Both brothers where overcome with laughter shortly after. "Hey, maybe if you're lucky, she'll be at school tomorrow! Heard we are supposed to be getting a lot of new kids!" Jake called out, excitedly, as he walked back to his work station. Finn waved off the idea and returned to work as well.

* * *

She was here. There was no mistaking her for anyone else . Her bright orange hair could be seen through the crowd of students like a beacon. She was walking straight toward him. It was like the student body was shifting around her, giving her the perfect path to him. His hands felt sweaty, his throat tightened. _'What do I say? Do I say anything? Oh man, oh man, oh man._ ' His eyes widened, silently watching her as students darted and weaved around her.

Thankfully, before she got within comfortable talking distance, she was stopped by another girl with obnoxiously bright orange hair. _'Oh yeah, there is Claira.'_ He remembered, taking back his past statement regarding her hair being undeniably the only orange hair in the school. Finn had forgotten about Claira - But that's quite alright. The entire school forgets about her. Finn's nerves calmed quickly afterwards, and curiosity overcame him.

He stealthily crept within ear shot of their conversation, pretending to tie his shoe. Out of the corner of his eye, he was taking glances at the two girls. His main interest being Aiden. She looked relatively the same as the last time Finn saw her. Her skin still fair, her eyes still electric blue, and she still had delicate features. She wore a knee length red dress, and had her hair put up today. The other girl - Claira - was being her usual self. Smiling, and fidgeting with the circular ring lodged in her left nostril.

Claira wore the same thing she wore last year for the first day of school - Her first day at this school. A cut up, and frayed, pair of skin tight pants, and a light green, white, and orange tank top - Which he presumed to be the Irish flag. He only presumed this, because it was the same colors she had tattooed with the words "Ireland Forever", covering the entirety of her throat - On her throat! How does she expect to find work? Her vibrant orange hair was unkempt - As always. Easily the most rebellious girl in school.

"Yeah, it's not too bad really. I've been here for a year, and it's been alright." Claira smiled. "I'm sure you'll make some good friends before long." Her dull blue eyes trailed off, in Finn's direction. He quickly ensured his glance was fixated elsewhere.

"I'm not expecting it to be too bad, everyone seems really friendly around here." Aiden responded, almost beaming. The other girl gave her a weak smile, and stepped back as a student passed between them. "Well, my name is Claira O'Brien, I'm sure you won't have trouble finding me around here, if you ever need to." She mumbled, extending a hand. Aiden returned her gesture. "Well, it's a pleasure meeting you, Claira." Finn couldn't be positive, but it looked like Claira was blushing from his angle. However, he hadn't time to follow this line of thought.

"Um, hi." Aiden squeaked, as she leapt back to avoid tripping over him.

Finn gasped, before darting to a standing position. "Hey, sorry, I didn't see you there." Finn laughed nervously, fighting the unexpected blush that he could feel spilling onto his face. She smiled, her smile soft and genuine. "I didn't know you were a student here. What grade?" She asked, casually. Finn instinctively grabbed a lock of hair that was draped over his shoulder and began twisting it between his fingers - A nervous coping mechanism. "I'm a Junior." Her smile widened. "Me too. What class do you have first?"

Finn's eyes darted left, as he struggled to remember in this moment. "Um. I think I have math first thing, actually.." The girl glanced down at a piece of paper in her hand. "I think we may be together then..." Finn's cheeks turned a darker shade of crimson. "... Mrs. Lagner?" Finn asked quizzically. Aiden's nose scrunched. "No, I have Mrs. Cuber." Finn popped his lips. "Her class is stupid hard." The girl locked eyes with him - A certain fire burning within them - an almost devious smile settling on her face. "I enjoy a challenge." Finn averted his gaze from hers. It was as if she was raising his core temperature, simply by being close to him.

"So..." Finn finally mumbled, "You met our little rebel, huh?" The intensity in her eyes dialed down to its normal level. Aiden cleared her throat elegantly. "Yes, Claira, you mean?" She asked. Finn focused back on one of her facial features - This time her eyebrows - to avoid having to stare into her lit eyes. "She didn't seem so bad, honestly. She seems like a genuine person." She commented, shrugging her shoulders. "Why, do you-" Before Aiden was able to finish her question, their conversation was invaded by another. Bonnibel.

"Hey, Finn." Bonnie chirped. Judging from her tone of voice - And how long Finn has known her - he knew she had a question, or a task for him. Aiden's gaze darted over her shoulder, eyeing the girl walking up to them. Finn was unable to see her eyes, but judging from the subtle facial expressions he could notice - Such as her tense jaw and flared nostrils - he could only assume her eyes where like daggers at this moment.

Bonnibel seemed to pay her no mind as she trotted up."What's up princess?" He teased in response. She smiled, giving him a quick eye roll before continuing. "Have you seen anyone new around school yet?" Her question seemed loaded. Finn raised an eyebrow and pointed at Aiden, who was now standing awkwardly beside Bonnibel. Bonnie twisted her head and smiled at the girl. "Hi, I am Bonnibel Baker, nice to meet you." Aiden returned her smile - Forcibly, it would appear. "Nice to meet you Bonnibel, I am Aiden Kenrich. It's a pleasure." Aiden responded, an underlying tone of sarcasm, that only Finn seemed to be able to pick up on. Bonnie held her gaze and smile on Aiden briefly, before turning it back to Finn. "Anyone else?" She asked, sounding almost irritated. Finn shook his head slowly. "Sorry, Bonnie. Anyone you looking for in particular?" Bonnie began fidgeting with her shirt - A nervous coping mechanism, Finn assumed. Her mouth twisted, as if she where trying to keep from divulging national secrets.

"Well, I believe I'm going to go to the auditorium and find a seat, before they all get taken." Aiden chimed in, slicing the sudden tension that was growing. "Alright." Both Finn and Bonnie said, simultaneously. Finn raised a hand and waved slightly. "See you later, Aiden." She glanced over her shoulder, smiled, and returned his gesture. He smiled, and then honed back in on Bonnie, who was now toying with a button on her dark pink button up. "It's funny really. She's new, so she has no idea that there aren't anywhere near enough kids in this school to fill up the auditorium." Bonnie mumbled, and gave a brief laugh.

Finn ignored the comment - Regardless of how true it was - to pursue his previous line of questions. "So? What's got you all muffed up, Bon?" Finn asked, rolling his hand in small circular motions. "Spill it, princess." Bonnie only sighed, and slumped her shoulders. Moments passed before she finally spoke. "I don't know Finn. I'm just really hoping that the Amber girl we met last week - Who I still firmly believe is Marceline - You know, from my childhood - isn't going to be here. You know?" She paused, taking in a deep breath of air, before huffing it all out. "Because if it is Marceline, she clearly doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, or she wouldn't have lied to me. And if it is a girl named Amber, then it's just going to be really awkward all school year, because I'll forever be that ditz who yelled at her, accusing her of being my friend outside of a coffee shop."

Bonnibel grew very silent, her eyes firmly planted on the ground between them. Finn clicked his tongue a few times. "There, there, Bonnie. Don't worry. She looked to old to be in school anyway." He said, in the most optimistic voice he could manage, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "That girl looked at least twenty, so I don't think you have anything to worry about. And, even if it was her, so what? You don't need someone like that in your life anyway, you know?" Bonnie snorted, and looked up to meet Finn's eyes. She was wearing a thin smile. "Yeah, I guess you are right. Marceline was a year older than me, and a grade ahead. It's silly of me to be worried about it, I suppose. She's most likely graduated, and moved on to bigger and better things - Where ever she is."

After a few gentle pats, Finn removed his hand from her shoulder. "See, you have nothing to worry about." He said, smiling. Her smile lifted with his.

* * *

There was indeed something to be worried about.

Within five minutes of being in his third period science class, Finn had to denounce Claira as the 'most rebellious' girl in school, because just as the bell rang for class to start, a girl with long black hair - A section of it shaved, tattoos, and large gaping holes in her ear lobes darted into the class. _'Oh man. This is going to be an interesting year...'_ The last time Finn saw this girl, she was making scenes at coffee shops - Unless there is two of them running around. Even more interesting.

The seating arrangements where assigned in Mrs. Doyle's class. However, that did not stop this girl from taking the slip of paper that had her name written on it from the desk in the front row, and walking to the very back of the room and reassigning herself. Right behind Finn. _'I wonder if she recognizes me. She had to, right?'_ Finn closed his eyes, as if he could force his eyeballs to the back of his head and steal a glance at her. _'I wonder if Bonnie has seen her yet?'_

Finn became rigid as he felt a tap on his shoulder. He blinked several times before twisting his body in the seat to face her. "What's up." She said - More of a statement, than a question. "Can I like, borrow a pencil?" She asked, her raspy voice strangely persuasive. Finn nodded his head. "Yeah, sure. If I have one." She smirked. "And some paper too?" Finn couldn't help but snort at her lack of preparation. "Yeah, I guess that's alright." As he turned back around, Finn made it a point to look at the slip of paper laying on her desk. _'Marceline R. Abadeer.'_ The next few seconds Finn spent digging through his pockets for an extra pencil, and debating whether of not he should confront her about the whole 'Amber' thing. He decided to let her identity crisis go - For now.

"I couldn't find a extra pencil, sorry. But here's a few sheets of paper. Hope that's cool?" He said, casually handing paper over his shoulder, hoping Mrs. Doyle wouldn't notice. "Yeah, it's cool. I didn't plan on taking notes anyway." She responded with a quiet snicker.

Finn had given her seven sheets of loose leaf paper. He could not help but giggle every time one of the six paper airplanes flew past his head over the course of twenty minutes. Every time Mrs. Doyle would turn her head, Marceline would launch another paper airplane. The first few landed safely and skidded across the ground. Then, she hit a boy sitting a few rows ahead of them. The first time she hit him with one, he turned around, and only glanced. Then he got hit with another. He whipped around in his desk, and mouthed "Stop". Then he was hit with two more. The first of the two, he tried to ignore. However, when the second - Fourth over all - hit him, he turned furiously and threw his pencil towards... _'Oh gob, that's coming at me!'_ Finn panicked and tried to catch it, but he failed. It bounced off of his shoulder, and seemed to have landed somewhere soft - It didn't crash went it his the ground.

 _'Thank gob, don't want Mrs. Doyle freaking out first day.'_ Mrs. Doyle had been known to do that in the past. Make huge issues out of little things. She also tended to over exaggerate. Finn exhaled, letting the sudden panic that overcame him leave with his breath. He directed his attention back to Mrs. Doyle, who was now erasing the white board, because she writes entirely too big. He started hastily jotting down the notes he had missed before she could erase them.

Finn was unsuccessful. Not because he was too slow, but because a paper airplane - The seventh, to be exact - collided with the back of his head. He quickly gathered it from the floor. On each side it read "Open me." - Or, at least, that's what it appeared to say. _'She must have caught the pencil. Slick. But her hand writing is garbage.'_ He quietly unfolded the wings to reveal a short sentence of chicken scratch. He couldn't help but squint as he read it in his head. _'See, I have ways of getting what I want.'_ Finn stifled laughter. It was truly hard for him to remember that he probably shouldn't associate with her. She seemed really fun, and interesting, but her and Bonnibel were at some sort of odd ends, and that was not okay.

 _'Yeah, I don't doubt you. My name is Chuck. What's yours?'_ Finn quickly wrote down, before folding the paper up and handing it off to Marceline. He figured he would give her a taste of her own medicine, as a passive-aggressive testament to his distaste for her. He tried resuming his note taking, but her response was too quick for him to make any real progress. _'Well, Finneus J. Murtons. I don't appreciate being lied to, nerd. I am observant, thank you very much. Not to mention, Chuck? Sorry, that's a horrible name. My name is Marceline. Can I have more paper?'_ Finn smirked. He promptly removed three more pieces of paper, and scribbled down his reply on their note. Once he was finished, he eyed it over to ensure it would send the proper message. _'Not as terrible of a name as Amber. I appreciate honesty as well, Marceline.'_ A devious grin crept onto his face as he folded the note up, and placed it on the three sheets of paper he planned to give her.

* * *

Marceline threw three more airplanes, all hitting their mark - The boy a few rows up. She darted out of class laughing as soon as the bell rang. However, she never wrote him back - He most likely struck a nerve. Finn's fourth period class - History - was uneventful, but at least Aiden was in there. He decided that the next day, he would get into class early, so he could sit beside her - Mr. Whitelaw class was first come, first served as far as seats went. Currently in his fifth period class, Home Economics, he elected to sit with Bonnibel. It's the first class all day that he has with her, and all the other girls in the class treat Finn very nicely, and it makes him uncomfortable - The class is predominantly female.

"Alright, well. I really don't have anything for y'all to do today, so you can just talk. Quietly." Mrs. Vaughn said, with a smile. She was a nice, but quirky, older woman who wore thick framed glasses, and was very rarely caught without a smile - Students and faculty alike loved her.

As all the other students turned to talk to their friends at their respective table, Finn sat still. His stomach quickly became knots, realizing he had forty-five minutes to talk to Bonnibel, and that it would be morally wrong to deny telling her that Marceline R. Abadeer is in attendance at Connor O'Neill High. He actually debated going and sitting with Claira, rather than discuss the pressing topic.

Bonnie must have read his mind, or seen Marceline for herself - One or the other - because Bonnie instantly crossed her arms on the table, and nested her head in them. She sighed and mumbled "So I guess Marceline is her... Or Amber, or whoever she is." Finn quit breathing momentarily. His shoulders slumped. "Marceline." He confirmed, catching Bonnie's eyes as she turned her head to see him. She didn't say anything - She didn't have to. "Marceline R. Abadeer. She was in my science class. I was trying to find a way to tell you, gently, you know? But you kind of dropped a bomb on me there." Finn laughed, twirling a strand of his hair. He opted out of bragging about his " _victory"_ in science class, however.

"Oh." Was all Bonnibel said, before burying her face in her forearms once more. Finn's lips grew thin, and he sucked air between them, creating a quiet whistling noise. "So... How did you. You know... Find out?" He finally asked, shifting his eyes to the redhead slouched over in her chair. She began to mumble something into the her arms. As much as he hated to do it, he had to. "I'm sorry, Bon, I can't hear you." Finn cringed when she shot up out of her seat, as if he had just offended her entire family. She sighed and walked to the trashcan located beside the teachers desk and stood there momentarily, pretending to throw something away - Mrs. Vaughn was on her computer looking at couches, so she paid her no mind. Shortly after, Bonnie turned and walked back to their table, her face long and her lips thin.

"Well, Finn." She said softly, reclaiming her seat. "I was saying that I saw her walk by the window right before you came to class." He nodded his head slowly. "And then I saw her take a step back, and look at me, like directly at me. Then..." She paused. With a sigh, she slumped further into her chair. "Then, she turned and went the other way. And judging from the one empty seat in this class..." Bonnie nonchalantly lifted a finger to point across the room, bringing Finn's attention to Claira, who was the only person in class sitting alone. "I assumed she must have been on her way to this class, before she saw me." Bonnie's mouth twitched a bit as she finished speaking. Finn could see hurt welling in her eyes. "Well, maybe she just didn't know what class this was, and realized it was the wrong one? Maybe she needed to go to another building... Or something." Finn offered, scratching the chin.

With a long sigh, Bonnie found the will to respond. "No." She said flatly. "I've already ran that possibility, and countless others, over in my head. So, I decided to check the attendance roster on Mrs. Vaughn's desk - That's what I just did - and Marceline is the only one missing from this class. Because I am in here." She paused, tapping a finger on the edge of the desk. Finn sat silently, mulling over the information she had just disclosed. He knew she was right, but he felt like being shocked would somehow be more comforting to her, so he continued with that course of action.

"Wow." Finn huffed. "Well, I mean, I'm sure something came up. I doubt she'd skip class just because you are in here. Don't be silly, she can't do that all year." He reassured her. The two fell silent. Finn could hear Bonnie's teeth grind behind closed lips. He was unsure if it was anger, frustration, or sadness that overcame her, but even her eyes where glossed with something he was unfamiliar with. "Nope." She finally spoke, letting the 'P' pop. "There's no way around it. 'Amber' doesn't exist. Marceline is back in town. She lied to me. And worst of all, she is avoiding me, so I'll most likely never get an explanation for her behavior." She exhaled long, and dramatically, her eyes suddenly focused. "Unless I talk to Keila, or her boyfriend." She locked eyes with Finn briefly. "Maybe you can have Jake talk to Bongo." She said, posing her demand as a question.

Finn tilted his head to the side a bit, but before he could pursue her statement, Bonnibel had crossed her arms on the desk and buried her face in them once more. She mumbled something that sounded like _'I'm just going to sleep the rest of this period'_ , but Finn wasn't sure. He elected not to bother her anymore. Something was very _'off'_ about Bonnibel Lynn Baker. She seemed stressed - But not normal Bonnie-school-stress, something new. She was choosing to sleep, over school work and studies. She was irritated - At the very least - when usually she let nothing bother her. It was like watching the fifth season of a television show, where they changed the actor for the leading role. Yes, they where the 'same' character, but you just can't quite get over the fact that they are undeniably different.

* * *

 _ **Authors Note:**_  
Sorry it took so long to write this chapter, and get it posted. My work has been a bit unpredictable. Not to mention I've been sick. Bleck. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, ladies and gents. Expect another before too much longer. Heads up, it won't be a Finn chapter next, which is positive. I found this chapter to be more forced than Bonnie's chapters, and much more forced than Marceline's. But, oh well. The story must be told, am I right?

I promise I will try to get on a regular uploading schedule. But I will make no promises. Sorry folks. I know, I'm the worst.

 **Fangirl3322** : I am very pleased to hear that you are enjoying this so far, and I hope you continue to enjoy it. I also hope this chapter clears up the bit of confusion you had.


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